Naps
Ah… naps. They can be frustrating, maddening, day-ruining even! I would literally break down in tears when my baby would wake up at the 40/45 minute mark or not perfectly complete two sleep cycles. Nailing down naps was probably the most frustrating thing about having a baby. Those first 5 months, they just weren’t dependable (and I like dependable). Looking back now, I wish I would’ve given myself (and my sons) more grace when it came to not meeting every expectation for their nap length/duration.
Naps take time. Like… 6 months. I find that naps become most reliable, dependable, and consistent once a baby hits 6 months old. Now, there are babies who take solid naps earlier. The majority of babies do not really nail down naps though until around 6 months. If you have a baby younger than 6 months and they are chronic “cat nappers,” that is totally age-appropriate and “normal.” However, there are things you can do to help your naps become more reliable and solid.
Today, we’re going to talk about 5 things that you can do to promote a solid nap.
Find your baby’s perfect wake window. Depending on your baby’s age, there is a range of time your baby should be awake without before showing sleepy cues. I like to rely on wake windows in the early months of a baby’s life. Once they are older, 8-9 months, we can focus on schedules, but in the beginning, we like to look at wake windows so those naps can be as long as possible. If they’re overtired, the nap will be short. Once you know your baby’s wake window, I want you to lay him/her down 5-10 minutes before their wake window ends. For example, if your baby is 8 months old and their wake window is 3 hours. I want you to do your nap routine at the 2 hour and 45 minute mark. Your routine should not be longer than 5 minutes. Following the short routine, lay your baby down awake by 2 hours and 50 minutes. That way, you are not going to miss their wake window and your baby will be put down , fully awake, in their crib, and ready to put themselves to sleep.
Make sure your baby’s sleep environment is ideal. Your baby’s sleep environment should be completely dark. Make sure you have black out curtains and/or shades. We want the baby’s room SO dark, you cannot even see your hand in front of your face. Also, make sure you have a white noise machine. I prefer The Hatch because you can use it for years and years. Play the white noise, TV static sound. We do not want to play lullaby music because it’s too stimulating. Your baby’s bedroom should be between 68-72 degrees and they should always be placed on their backs, in their cribs, with nothing inside.
Look at your child’s feeding schedule. Is your baby on a feeding schedule? Are they getting FULL feeds every time? Depending on their age, babies should be getting full feeds every 2.5-4 hours. We do not want to feed right before nap. Your baby will be TOO sleepy. We can’t risk them falling asleep on your breast or at the bottle. Babies should follow the eat, play, sleep model. By not attaching feeding with sleep, your baby will better be able to independently put themselves down for sleep.
How are they being put down? However your baby is being put down is what they’re going to need in order to fall back asleep. If they’re being rocked to sleep, they’ll need to be rocked back to sleep for their next cycle. If you want rocking and cuddles to be a part of your nap routine, go for it. Just don’t do it to sleep! Set your timer and soak up all those cuddles. Always lay them down awake so they put themselves to sleep independently.
Pause. This is a big one. So often parents rush into their baby’s room to get them once they’re “awake.” The problem is… they might not be fully awake. When your baby completes a sleep cycle, pause. Watch them to see what they do. Give them the opportunity to put themselves back to sleep. This might involve some crying and that’s OK. If you rush in and intervene, it will stimulate the baby and they will not be able to fall back asleep. Depending on their age, set your timer for a number of minutes you are comfortable with. Typically, families set their timer for 15-20 minutes. 9 times out of 10, the baby will put themselves back to sleep.
Nailing down naps can be frustrating and take awhile. When it comes to sleep training, we typically see progress after 2 nights. With naps, it can be 2 weeks before seeing progress. It’s hard to be consistent with something for two weeks, I get it! But you can do it! Your baby can do it!
When working on naps, pay attention to wake windows, their sleep environment, the feeding schedule, how they’re being put down, and pausing when they wake up. Combined, these five elements will help your baby take a longer, more restorative nap.
